Prayer for Relief and Dreamy Kid determined as morning line favourites to win the West Virginia Derby
Prayer For Relief and Dreamy Kid, are the 3-year-old colts to headline Grade 2 $750,000 West Virginia Derby to be held at Mountaineer racecourse on 6 August, 2011.
Prayer for Relief is trained by Bob Baffert for Zayat Stables and Dreamy Kid is trained by Neil Drysdale for owner Robert Evans.
The Californian duo recently placed in their graded stakes races for their connections, and now considered as the favourites to win the West Virginia Derby after headlining a field of 10 horses.
Prayer For Relief was sent off as the 5 to 2 favourite for the Mountaineer racecourse meet.
Neil Drysdale shipped in his 3-year-old Dreamy Kid after his successful run in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes, as he was installed the 7 to 2 second favourite for the West Virginia Derby.
The son of Jump Start out of Sparklin Lil by Mr. Sparkles, Prayer For Relief kicked off his career for Zayat Stables back in 5 September, 2010, in a six furlong dash to break his maiden.
Under jockey Manuel Garcia, the pair took on a field of 2-year-olds on the Del Mar racecourse, but fell away shortly after the quarter pole mark to finish sixth.
The Bob Baffert colt went to Hollywood Park for his second attempt on 10 October, 2010. Manuel Garcia rode the colt in the Maiden Claimer, but this time around the pair shot out of the gates and never looked back.
The final time was 1 minute and 11.34 seconds on synthetic surface.
Bob Baffert tried Prayer For Relief over at 1 1/16 mile distance straight away after breaking his maiden, and success came in the 2011 allowance race, where the colt under usual jockey Manuel Garcia took on 3-year-old males and won it with the final time
of 1 minute and 44.47 seconds on 29 May, 2011.
His big break recently came in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby, where Prayer For Relief took over familiar distance of 1 1/16 miles but this time on dirt at Prairie Meadows. Manuel Garcia held the colt back off pace and shook him up with 4 furlongs out.
The pair blasted off from mid pack to beat the leader Sherriff Cogburn, in the final time of 1 minute and 41.73 seconds.
On the other hand Robert Evans owned Dreamy Kid had quite a few attempts at maiden races before breaking his maiden in his third attempt at Hollywood Park under jockey David Flores over at a distance of 1 1/16 miles.
The Lemon Drop Kid colt ran amongst the big boys in the Grade 2 Swaps Stakes on 9 July, 2011, at Hollywood Park synthetic surface. Joseph Talamo took the responsibility and guided Dreamy Kid skillfully to his first graded stakes win for trainer Neil Drysdale.
The Californian duo is expected to take the field by storm, but there are other contenders who could place an upset on the day.
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